December, 2017

The Rent a Teacherman program aims to put more men in elementary schools. It's about time: In the state of Bremen, where the project is based, more than 20 percent of elementary schools don't have a single male teacher.

For many German children, seeing a male teacher during their first four years of schools is an extraordinary experience.

I come from a family of 5, that includes my parents and a younger brother and sister, each of us 4 to 5 years apart. Growing up, I helped my siblings gain skills and knowledge that I acquired from my own experiences. These included riding a bike, reading a book, training for a sport and aspects of becoming a leader.

Dexter Hannibal is a first-year teacher at Brooklyn Democracy Academy, a high school in Brownsville for students who've fallen behind. Sixty percent are boys of color.

"It's important for them to be able to see someone who looks like them and maybe has some of the shared life experiences they've had," Hannibal said. "For most of my students, they are immigrants and come from immigrant backgrounds. I'm also an immigrant, so I had to learn the history the way they are learning the history."

1) 'Young Black Men [Should] See Black Men in Front of Them' -- This Detroit Teacher2) Why we need more men to become primary teachers in the United Kingdom3) Being a male teacher was my dream - until I was falsely accused4) Male teacher shortage leaving Australian boys without role models5) "Knights of the Kids' Table" Men in Early Childhood Education conference in Winnipeg, Canada6) German elementary schools 'rent' male teachers7) 2017 NAEYC M.E.N. Interest National Awards